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Hoop Dreams
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Directed by Steve James.
This documentary about the aspirations of high-school basketball players from inner city Chicago won awards from the Sundance film festival, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Academy Award (Oscar) for best editing. Two young men are followed during their entire high-school career, beginning with their participation in playground games and ending with their being recruited by colleges. The obstacles these young men face include parental drug addiction, family poverty, and inner-city violence, as well as the usual obstacles that arise in competition, including physical injuries. While each aspires to leave the ghetto, there are many reasons to suppose they may not be able to, despite each beating the odds against them by winning college scholarships. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
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SpoutBlogSpoutBlog SXSW 2008: At the Death House Door
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com
hasn't rated it.
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"Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) is one of the best documentary filmmakers alive. (Listen to his interview here.) He may be drawn to an issue to start a project but, unlike Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock, he doesn’t investigate issues. He takes on the much greater challenge of showing us a fully rounded human being for whom the issue is a backdrop, one of many. It’s the difference between meeting the poster-child for an issue–say AIDS in Africa–and being that poster-child’s best friend. For At the Death House Door, the issue is the Death Penalty. But the accomplishment is how Steve James and co-director, Peter Gilbert, make us intimate with the complicated life of Reverend Carroll Pickett. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog " [More]
paulpaul SXSW 2008: At the Death House Door
by paul in paul on spout.com
loved it.
Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) is one of the best documentary filmmakers alive. (Listen to his interview here.) He may be drawn to an issue to start a project but, unlike Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock, he doesn’t investigate issues. He takes on the much greater challenge of showing us a fully rounded human being for whom the issue is a backdrop, one of many. It’s the difference between meeting the poster-child for an issue–say AIDS in Africa–and being that poster-child’s best friend. For At the Death House Door, the issue is the Death Penalty. But the accomplishment is how Steve James and co-director, Peter Gilbert, make us intimate with the complicated life of Reverend Carroll Pickett. (more…) Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul " [More]
SpoutBlogSpoutBlog SXSW 2008: At the Death House D ...
by SpoutBlog in SpoutBlog on spout.com
hasn't rated it.
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"The Reverend Carroll Pickett (whose interview I’ll post later) either fell in or was called to a ministry wherein he walked 95 death row inmates through their final hours and, ultimately, to the gurney where they were executed by lethal injection. He’s a stoic Texan and fascinating man explored in Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) and Peter Gilbert’s new documentary, At the Death House Door. We talk about unwrapping this complicated minister and whether or not they planted a bottle of wine at the family dinner where Rev. Pickett’s children interrogate him about his job. SXSW 2008 interview: Steve James and Peter Gilbert At the Death House Door SXSW news, reviews, interviews and discussions Originally posted on:SpoutBlog " [More]
paulpaul SXSW 2008: At the Death House D ...
by paul in paul on spout.com
loved it.
Was this review helpful? [Be the first to tell us!]
"The Reverend Carroll Pickett (whose interview I’ll post later) either fell in or was called to a ministry wherein he walked 95 death row inmates through their final hours and, ultimately, to the gurney where they were executed by lethal injection. He’s a stoic Texan and fascinating man explored in Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Stevie) and Peter Gilbert’s new documentary, At the Death House Door. We talk about unwrapping this complicated minister and whether or not they planted a bottle of wine at the family dinner where Rev. Pickett’s children interrogate him about his job. SXSW 2008 interview: Steve James and Peter Gilbert At the Death House Door SXSW news, reviews, interviews and discussions Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul " [More]
RisseladaRisselada movie year countdown #13 - 1994 ...
by Risselada in Risselada Blog
is neutral about it.
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"This blog entry is part of my “movie year countdown”. To read more about that check out my first Spout filmblog entryHoop DreamsI don't think I would have had any major interest in seeing this just based on the subject matter. I saw it specifically because of the outrageous accolades. Often hearing it was one of the greatest documentaries ever made. Ebert called it the greatest movie of the whole decade. And anything on Criterion is at least worth checking out for the DVD presentation.I do appreciate a lot of things in this movie. Almost all of it takes place in Chicago where I've been living for three years. It shows real people with their dreams and problems. It was filmed over several years so there is a lot of footage to chose from and you get to see things played out. And somewhat by luck, things actually worked out in a fashion that was almost dramatic enough that it seemed as though it was written.However I did find it to be a big longer than I c ... " [More]
RisseladaRisselada Re: Chicago = Playground Theater
by Risselada in Chicago
is neutral about it.
"It's weird to imagine if they are all from different eras.Gondorf and Hooker are pulling a big one over on Lonnegan. Dr. Richard Kimble is on the run from a U.S. Marshal. The McAllister family is flying out of O'Hare minus one member. Bill is working his last day at the steel-mill. Rob Gordon is making another stupid list and whining about his life. Satan is giving a bus tour of the St. Valintine's Day Massacre. Wayne and Garth are headbanging. "Rocket" Steadman is sucking it up like usual. Tom Stansfield is chasing an owl named O.J. in the year 2003. A baby carriage falls down the stairs. William Gates fucks up his knee. " [More]
RisseladaRisselada Movie year countdown viewing pr ...
by Risselada in Risselada Blog
is neutral about it.
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"Here’s the dilemma. I have a list of well over three thousand movies I want to see saved on IMDB. I have a subscription to Netflix and recently every time I return a DVD it has been an extremely arduous task to make the decision as to which movie I should see next. In an effort to narrow down my choices and make the process of choosing slightly less overwhelming I have devised a system, almost a bit of a game for me. Here’s how it goes.For my first film selection, I have narrowed the options down to only films that were released in the year 2006. Then after I have watched that movie, my next selection would have to be a film released in 2005. Then I would see a film from 2004, then 2003, etc. The process of deciding is still laborious, but actually quite a bit more exciting. (I'm going by IMDB as my source for release years)I have already been making a list and have also already begun watching the films. I decided this might be a good time to start fooling ... " [More]
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
loved it.
The celebrated documentary from director Steve James, Hoop Dreams follows two young boys trying to take their basketball game from the inner-city streets of Chicago to the NBA. Tackling issues of racism, politics, and the dangerous power of hope, the film stands out as a complex and astute examination of the African-American experience. With the all-powerful image of Michael Jordan presiding over the film, Hoop Dreams exposes the way in which basketball has become the dominant force in the lives of so many African-American young men, who rely on their athletic skills to rise above the poverty surrounding them in a society that values only what these boys can do on the court. The film brilliantly elucidates a journey of lost innocence where the casualties of a game mean much more than simply losing on the court. ~ Rachel Deahl, All Movie Guide
 



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